Wink — Review & Giveaway

Naming characters is always something of a challenge. Writer’s Digest has a good article HERE with The 7 Rules for Picking Names for Fictional Characters.

Bushra Rahmani did a great guest post HERE on C. S. Lakin’s Live Write Thrive site — 5 Literary Agents Reveal the 9 Pitching Mistakes Authors Make. If you are looking for an agent, this is for you.

In case you missed it, and you really shouldn’t, the post HERE by Janice Hardy at Fiction University is one of the best I’ve read. She gives you Five Ways to Kick Your Writing Up a Notch.

And the pandemic marches on. I hope you are all staying well and doing well. I actually went out last week. It felt weird, but I think we all have to carefully and safely get back to some level of normalcy. My daughter will be joining me, at long last, this week. I am looking forward to not being alone all the time. Now if I could just kick myself into gear and start doing some writing again. I have started to do some revisions, so I guess that is a step in the right direction. I wish you happy reading and, for the writers here, productive writing. And I wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers reading here. My daughter and granddaughter just brought home-made sourdough cheese bagels for me. It doesn’t get much better than that, although I sure miss the hugs.

A while back, I ran across a book called Wink by Rob Harrell that looked like it had an interesting premise. The Tulsa Book Review had it on their list, so I snagged it. What a terrific book. I’m so glad I got it. Here is the review I wrote for them.

Seventh grade is a tough time for any kid, but Ross has special issues. He’s been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in his eye. He has to go through surgery followed by eight weeks of radiation. The medical people are upfront with him, and he knows he might lose his vision or maybe even his life. But Ross puts on his big-boy pants and does what he has to do. One of his two best friends totally ignores Ross and the other will shortly move away. But one of the radiation techs becomes a friend and teaches Ross a LOT about music and even how to play. Some mean kids do some terrible things to Ross as he goes through radiation burn, hair loss, and more that almost bring him to his breaking point.

Rob Harrell

Author Rob Harrell tapped into his own experience with cancer for this incredibly well-written story. The first-person point of view is perfect for this story because Harrell absolutely nails the language and feelings of a prepubescent boy facing both cancer and seventh grade. This book is filled with heart and humor wrapped in a most compelling story. This is a winner!

And speaking of winners, there will be one next time. I have a gently-read ARC for one of you, although I really have no idea when I will get to the post office. It could be a while. All you need do is be a follower or subscriber (it’s free!), have a U.S. address, and leave a comment below. If you would like extra chances, please share the link to this post on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet and let me know you have done that. And don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at the Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.

I haven’t had cancer, but I do know what it’s like to grow up with a congential eye problem that required many surgeries when I was 10-12. When I looked at that cover, I saw every picture of me taken as a child outdoors, with one eye closed due to light sensitivity. So I empathize with the main character and how mean kids can be. Definitely want to read this story. And, it fits my blog theme. Am curious to know more about the author. Thank you for the recommendation!

I have this high on my list of books to read. The story is compelling and the main character is truly a winner. Thanks for featuring on MMGM. Also, the Janice Hardy link had me reading her post twice. It was that good! Have a great time with your daughter.

This sounds like a painful but ultimately touching story! I’ve seen some praise for this book already, but your review makes me want to read it even more! I’ll pass on the giveaway, but thanks for the great review!

This book was already one I really want to read and now that I know it’s based on the author’s own cancer experiences, I know it will feel authentic. I shared on twitter, pinterest, tumblr, and facebook. Stay safe and well!

I appreciated that Naming character article. I once read a fantasy genre book (adult, not kid) where the author had used 4 or 5 character names that all started with the letter K. I like the letter K, but it seemed a bit too much of the same sound when reading. And sourdough cheese bagels sounds delicious. I went to the grocery store today. I have really cut down on often I go and then when I go, but now I’m kicking myself for not getting some delicious artisan type bread to take home.